


Halloween

by EmilliaGryphon



Series: Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Extravaganza [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, gotg
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, Scary, Team as Family, holiday fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 16:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon
Summary: Drax and Rocket love this Halloween thing Quill keeps on about. Mantis...not so much.
Relationships: Mantis/Nebula
Series: Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Extravaganza [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1415389
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Halloween

_ Something was watching her,  _ Mantis tore her gaze away from the intriguing purple light of the Benetar’s many corridors and turned instead to the dark corners, tucked away from the main hallways. The ship was so large compared to Ego’s tiny transports. It was still awkward moving about the ship, always bumping into things or happening upon someone who’d rather be left alone. 

“Nebula?”

Mantis stepped closer towards the adjacent stairwell leading to the cargo bay, peering down into the depths. Not even her annenate were enough to illuminate the place.

“Hello?”

Something hissed up from the blackness.  _ Tall and...were those… red glowing eyes. _ Mantis stomach clenched in fright, stepping backward. 

“Drax, if this is one of your jokes it is not funny!” The stairwell remained motionless of course, the pitch black of it descending downward. The hissing began again, this time closer, snarling, more angry. The hairs on her neck rose in apprehension, heart thumping fast. 

“Who...who is it?!” She couldn’t stop the whimper from her voice. Whatever was down there gurgled and hissed once more, closer this time. She peered downward, trying to makeout the last step through the fathomless black. Her heart raced in dread.  _ It’s okay...it is okay…it’s just the… _

“AAAAAHHHHHRRRRGGG!” 

Mantis shrieked, flinging herself backward against the wall and clinging to it, legs shaking, pinching her eyes closed. Yet through her fright...she could sense it... _ amusement, laughter. _ She opened her eyes with hesitation then frowned. The puppy and Drax. Shame instantly welled in her gut, tears pressing against her eyes. 

“That’s not funny!”

Drax howled in laughter, clutching his sides while the puppy chittered atop his shoulders, the two of them had wrapped a black drape around themselves. The puppy’s red eyes no longer glowed in the darkness but were brimming with tears of laughter. 

“Really? Cuz from where I’m standing it was pretty funny!” He cackled, hopping down from Drax’s shoulders. 

Nebula’s foot falls echoed down the hall, gaze iron-clad as ever. Drax and the puppy’s laughter fizzled and died as she neared. 

“What’s going on?” The cyborg woman glared at daggers at the two trickers, who at least had the sense to look away. 

“It was only a joke,” the puppy defended lamely.

“If you scare Mantis again, I will kill you.” The woman reached the knife at her belt.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Peter swept in, running down the hall. “How many times do I gotta say it? No one is killing anyone on my ship!”

Nebula huffed, but dropped her hand.

“They frightened Mantis,” she growled. Peter redirected his scowl to the puppy and the Destroyer. The empath glanced appreciatively at Nebula, and didn’t not miss that ever so subtle smile she returned. It dispelled the fear in her heart.

“Guys, Halloween is about fun scary!”

“How can one be fun while one is scared?” Drax demanded. 

The human sighed exasperated, “we don’t want to make Mantis cry. That’s a bad kind of scary. We want to make people laugh and maybe scream a little for fun, but not a  _ real _ scream.”

“All screams are real,” Drax retorted, clearly skeptical. Nebula only scowled, muttering something about “stupid Terran traditions,” but Peter let it slide easily enough, tossing Mantis an apologetic glance that she appreciated. 

“Peter,” Gamora poked her head into the hall. “Your mumkin seeds...they’re burning.” 

“It’s pump...neve rmind,” the empath followed with curiosity as he dashed towards the kitchen area, towards a burning smell. “Shit!” He exclaimed, yanking a tray from the oven. Little burny seeds scattered about, now slightly charred on the tray. 

“Our lanterns are not even lighting this kitchen properly,” Drax folded his arms with confusion, nodding towards the so called “Jack-O-Lantern’s” Peter insisted they carve. Drax’s has been nearly stabbed to oblivion, held together loosely by strands of tough orange skin. Gamora had carved mesmerizing swirls into hers, which Mantis herself tried to replicate, adding stars and moons and planets. Nebula had admired it, that was the highest praise of all. Groot was somewhat disturbed by the whole notion, crying until Rocket had consoled him. The puppy’s own pumpkin was faring no better than Drax’s with several rounds of Ewan plasma bullets fired into it. It now glowed an odd blue color. Nebula had stuck several knives into her pumpkin at various angles. Peter had tried to carve some odd spaceship into his gord. He said it was from the movie Back to the Future? 

“They don’t taste that bad,” Gamora assured him between bites of the seeds, crunching them with some effort. 

“These are repulsive,” Nebula spat out the pits onto the floor. Mantis suppressed a giggle. 

“You guys, we haven’t even gotten to the best part of Halloween!” Peter shoved a handful of pumpkin seeds into his mouth. 

“There’s more? The puppy bemoaned. “You already made us watch that movie with the kids in the cabin and the guy with the weird mask. Still don’t get why he didn’t just use a blaster.” 

“And your atrocious decorations,” Nebula swung her cybernetic hand at the fake bat hanging from the ceiling. 

“We have to dress up!”

“But Quill, we are already dressed….”

“No man, in costumes! You dress up as someone or something else! For fun!” 

Gamora and Nebula exchanged bewildered glances, whilst the puppy and Drax continued to eat the seeds. It took Quill another hour before Mantis and the rest of them got a vague idea of what they were supposed to do. 

Mantis scrounged around for something, per Quill’s suggestion for something to fashion into a halo. Some white garments for wings, an angel costume he called it. She skipped back to the main kitchen room excited to see what the others had found in the hour Quill had given them to make costumes. 

\---

They convened back in the kitchen. Gamora was dressed as a Trekonic warrior, evident by the red cape. Groot had simple grown many black colored flowers from his limbs. Peter was dressed in an odd half-shirt that he insisted was called a vest, someone named Marty McFly. The puppy had dressed himself as a space pirate what with a bandana, and small dagger Gamora had leant him, (more a sword by his stature). 

“Drax...what even is your costume?” 

“He’s Kevin Bacon!” Mantis squealed happily, it had been her idea after all. He sported a pair of Quill’s jeans and a white tank top. The man had made them all watch Footloose enough time to memorize the attire. 

Peter shook his head, a grin spreading across his face, he shook his head. 

“Well damn man, I thought you’d be more of a terminator than Kevin Bacon!” 

They blinked, blankly before Peter shrugged it off.

“Can we dive into that candy now or you just gonna lecture us on this Kevin guy?!” The puppy growled.

“Alright, alright!” Quill took the canister off the table, dumping the contents out before them. Mantis laughed giddy, diving into the pit. Filling themselves with enough candy to last multiple lifetimes, Mantis finally slipped back down the hall. Feeling the feelings of others was a blessing, and a curse. With so much energy bombarding her she made to get away for a little while back down the scary corridor.

The empath stopped short,  _ Nebula.  _ The woman hadn’t joined in with the others but she was dressed up. She was much the same as usual, but she’d embellished the metal in her head with light turquoise paint, her lips matching. She’d colored her lips too, the same color. She had replaced her utilitarian suit with a long purple skirt and black boots.

“Nebula! You look so pretty!” 

The woman’s eyes widened for a moment,  _ surprise, flattered, sheepish.  _ Mantis grinned but she knew better than to touch the woman. 

“Th...thank you.” 

Mantis waited for Nebula to continue, wringing her hands nervously. It was clear the cyborg was not one for talking but at least she was taking part in the holiday. It was nice to see her having some semblance of fun. She deserved it.

“Mantis!”

The empath halted in her steps, glancing over her shoulder. Nebula shifted awkwardly. 

“If they ever try to scare you again. Tell me. I...I got you.” 

Mantis antenna glowed with light, mirroring the bouncing in her heart. Whatever emotion it was, it was scary. But not...the bad kinda scary Mantis supposed, watching a subtle smile creep across Nebula’s face. Maybe this was the good kind of scary and maybe Halloween wasn’t so bad after all. 

\---

Awesome Holiday Mix: Halloween

Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

Monster Mash - Bobby Pickett

Ghost Busters - Ray Parker JR

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is a little late! Halloween is my favorite holiday so please enjoy! Also I realized I need more Mantis/Nebula fics in my life.


End file.
